am. 

hjcj  r^fns 

i'  Half  Told  Tales 


Exclusive  Information  for  Pastors 

FROM 

The  Committee  on  Conservation  and  Advance 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church 


' I /HE  information  in  this  pamphlet  is 

issued  exclusively  to  pastors.  It  is 
supplementary  to  the  information  con- 
tained in  the  Poster  on  Home  Mission 
work  and  the  pamphlet  on  Foreign  Mis- 
sion work  entitled  “Unfinished  Business" 
which  have  been  prepared  to  be  distrib- 
uted in  the  churches  in  the  fall  of  1921. 

The  information  given  in  those  pieces 
of  literature  on  what  the  two  Mission 
Boards  could  have  accomplished  with  the 
un-paid  Centenary  pledges  is  not  re- 
peated in  this  pamphlet  for  pastors. 

To  gain  a full  understanding  of  the 
present  situation,  the  pamphlet  for  the 
congregation  must  be  used  in  connection 
with  the  one  for  pastors. 


PASTORS’  BULLETIN  NUMBER  ONE 


Methodist  Episcopal  Church 

Committee  on  Conservation  and  Advance 

740  Rush  Street,  Chicago,  Illinois 


Concerning  the  Benevolent 
Collections 


The  General  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of 
1920  provided  that : 

“The  Treasurer  of  the  Committee  on  Conservation  and  Advance  shall 
receive  all  funds  for  the  Council  and  the  Constituent  Boards  and  the 
American  Bible  Society,  and  he  shall  distribute  the  same,  monthly,  pro 
rata  according  to  the  asking  approved  by  the  Council  of  Boards  of  Benevo- 
lence, except  designated  gifts.” 

These  Boards  are : 

The  Board  of  Foreign  Missions. 

The  Board  of  Home  Missions  and  Church  Extension. 

The  Board  of  Education  for  Negroes. 

The  Board  of  Education. 

The  Board  of  Sunday  Schools. 

The  Board  of  the  Epworth  League. 

The  American  Bible  Society. 

The  Board  of  Temperance,  Prohibition  and  Public  Morals. 

The  General  Deaconess  Board. 

The  Board  of  Hospitals  and  Homes. 

Pastors  are  urged  to  encourage  their  local  Church  treasurers 
to  forward  on  the  tenth  of  each  month,  all  moneys  for  the  work 
of  these  Boards  and  all  Centenary  funds  to  Morris  W.  Ehnes, 
Treasurer,  Committee  on  Conservation  and  Advance  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  740  Rush  Street,  Chicago,  Illinois. 


Half  Told  Tales 

In  all  the  worldwide  program  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  the  acute  problem  is  the  holdup  of  hundreds  of  projects 
planned  for  and  promised,  due  to  the  non-payment  in  full  of  Cen- 
tenary benevolent  apportionments  for  the  year  1920.  Both  in  the 
communities  at  home  and  on  the  Foreign  Field  work  is  critically 
embarrassed.  The  local  funds  which  were  to  be  supplemented 
by  promised  Centenary  funds  have  in  a large  number  of  cases 
been  raised.  The  work  halts  because  the  expected  Centenary 
aid  has  not  been  forthcoming. 

This  pamphlet  contains  illustrations  of  the  waiting  opportuni- 
ties and  the  great  seriousness  of  the  delay. 

Methodist  Foreign  Missions  T o-day 

While  our  attention  here  is  chiefly  centered  on  what  the  Board 
of  Foreign  Missions  could  immediately  do  with  its  share  of  the 
unpaid  Centenary  benevolent  apportionments  for  the  last  year 
the  great  achievements  of  the  Centenary  program  must  not  be 
forgotten.  That  program  has  been  in  operation  almost  two  years. 
Already  the  reports  for  the  first  year  of  Foreign  Missions  under 
the  Centenary  program,  show  a very  encouraging  and  significant 
advance.  The  complete  statistics  for  1920  for  the  various  fields 
have  just  been  made  available. 

Following  are  a few  of  the  outstanding  facts  and  figures 
which  give  a condensed  view  of  the  great  volume  of  the  work 
of  the  Church  in  the  Foreign  fields : 

METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHRISTIAN  COMMUNITY  IN 
FOREIGN  FIELD  INCREASED  BY  OVER 
60,000  DURING  1920 

Statistics  just  compiled  for  the  year  show  increase  of  36,153 
members  and  of  23,889  baptized  children. 

Value  of  Church  property  in  mission  field  increased  by 
$3,674,679  in  year.  A large  amount  of  this  reported  increase  is 
due  to  greater  thoroughness  on  the  field  in  gathering  and  report- 
ing statistics.  Part  of  the  increase  is  due  to  increased  valua- 
tion of  existing  property  and  part  is  due  to  new  improvements 
and  projects  made  possible  by  Centenary  funds. 

Contributions  of  church  members  on  foreign  field,  $4,077,992, 
more  than  double  that  of  1919 — a notable  Centenary  result. 

Some  of  the  statistics  on  Foreign  Missions  are  printed  elsewhere,  and 
given  here  in  amplified  form.  All  else  is  printed  in  this  booklet  for  the 
first  time  and  is  sent  to  pastors  only. 

3 


Large  Increase  Recorded 

A total  of  697,436  native  Christians  make  up  the  Christian 
community  under  the  care  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
in  various  mission  lands,  according  to  reports  for  1920  just 
received  and  compiled  by  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions.  This 
makes  an  increase  of  60,042  Christians  during  the  year  1920, 
compared  with  the  previous  twelve-month  period.  The  total 
baptisms,  adults  and  children  were  59,088. 

Strong  Christian  Communities 
India  and  Burma  remain  Methodism’s  greatest  field  for 
evangelism;  the  Christian  community  there  numbers  385,410;  the 
number  children  and  adults  baptized  in  these  countries  in  1920 
was  40,991.  The  church  in  Europe,  principally  located  in  the 
strong  Methodist  centers  of  Scandinavia,  numbers  91.369.  In 
the  Philippine  Islands,  Methodism  has  a following  of  56,526. 

New  Recruits  at  Work 

The  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  has  1,133  missionaries  at  work 
on  the  field:  the  Woman’s  Foreign  Missionary  Society  has  575. 
This  indicates  a gain  of  159  American  workers  for  1920  above 
all  losses  by  death  and  retirement.  China  has  494  of  the  mis- 
sionaries of  both  the  Board  and  the  Society ; India  and 
Burma,  452. 

In  addition  to  the  missionaries,  the  evangelistic  staff  includes 
2,759  ordained  native  preachers  and  6,288  unordained  native 
preachers  and  exhorters.  Other  native  workers — including 
Bible  readers,  colporteurs,  teachers,  physicians,  nurses — number 
7,378.  This  makes  a total  of  16,425  native  leaders. 

Sunday  Schools  Grow 

There  was  an  increase  of  566  Sunday  schools  and  46,801 
pupils  during  the  year.  The  total  number  of  Sunday  schools 
under  the  care  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  missionaries  is  9,833 ; 
of  pupils,  452,047.  India  and  Burma  have  6,051  Sunday  schools 
enrolling  182,001  children.  In  Europe,  Methodism  has  111,489 
pupils  in  1,247  Sunday  schools. 

Many  Schools  of  All  Grades 

The  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  and  the  Woman’s  Foreign 
Missionary  Society  maintain  2,827  secular  schools  of  all  grades. 
Their  enrollment  is  116,000. 

New  Churches  and  Other  Mission  Property 

On  all  mission  fields  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  has  2,752 
churches,  an  increase  of  123  over  1919.  The  estimated  increase 
in  value  of  church  buildings  ($1,105,417  United  States  gold)  was 
due  largely  to  additional  property  bought  or  erected  with  Cen- 

The  term  "Christian  Community"  as  here  used  includes  only  full  and 
preparatory  members  and  baptized  children  under  instruction. 


4 


tenary  funds.  Besides  this  the  value  of  parsonages  on  the  foreign 
field  was  increased  by  $662,662.  Other  mission  property — in- 
cluding schools,  hospitals,  printing  plants,  etc. — increased  in  value 
by  $1,906,600.  The  increased  value  of  property  owned  by  the 
Woman’s  Foreign  Missionary  Society  was  $895,847. 

Twenty-five  Million  Dollars  in  Property 

The  estimated  total  value  (in  United  States  gold)  of  all 
churches  owned  by  or  for  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  is  $10,- 
254.779;  of  parsonages,  $3,387,560;  of  schools,  hospitals,  and  mis- 
cellaneous institutions,  $7,034,037.  All  property  owned  by  the 
Woman’s  Foreign  Missionary  Society  has  an  estimated  value  of 
$4,403,656.  In  other  words  the  investment  in  property  and  build- 
ings for  the  spreading  of  the  Gospel  message  in  the  mission  lands 
of  the  world  by  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  is  more  than 
twenty-five  millions  of  dollars. 

Contributions  Doubled 

The  total  contributions  of  the  church  members  on  the  foreign 
field,  including  Europe,  was  $4,077,992.  This  is  more  than  double 
the  money  contributed  in  1919  ($1,849,025).  In  many  fields  also 
outside  of  Europe  increases  are  reported. 

NEW  POWER  IN  THE  NATIVE  CHURCH  IN 
THE  MISSION  FIELD 

One  outstanding  result  of  the  Centenary  on  the  Foreign  Mis- 
sion Field  has  been  the  new  life  and  initiative  developed  in  the 
native  churches,  due  largely  to  the  quickening  which  has  come  to 
them  through  their  own  Centenary  campaign.  In  the  achieve- 
ments which  the  native  churches  have  brought  about,  it  is  possible 
to  see  more  clearly  than  ever,  the  distant  goal  of  self-supporting, 
self-propagating  churches  in  the  mission  field. 

Here  are  a few  facts  from  many  fields  illustrating  this : 

In  1920  the  Church  in  Mexico  received  over  2,000  new  mem- 
bers, almost  double  the  number  in  1919.  Eight  hundred  and 
ninety-two  members  are  tithers.  In  one  church,  the  Gante  Church 
in  Mexico  City,  a budget  of  $6,000  was  raised  in  1919 ; $10,000 
in  1920;  $15,000  pledged  in  1921. 

In  Chile,  the  conference  gained  35%  in  self-support  in  1920. 
Eastern  South  America  gained  11%  in  membership,  and  has  one 
out  of  every  four  members  a tither.  Better  than  that,  the  devel- 
opment of  the  spiritual  life  of  the  Church  as  manifest  in  mission- 
ary spirit  and  initiative  has  made,  in  the  words  of  Bishop  Oldham, 
“a  new  spiritual  climate.” 

In  China  the  objective  as  set  by  the  native  church  averages  a 
yearly  increase  of  32%  in  membership,  30%  in  literacy,  20%  in 
self-support,  15%  of  members  as  tithers,  50%  of  members  as 
intercessors.  These  goals  are  rapidly  being  reached.  The  West 
China  Conference  had  a Centenary  quota  of  $40,000.  That  quota 
was  over-pledged  165%,  and  more  than  $90,000  has  actually  been 
paid  already. 


5 


In  India  the  conferences  are  enthusiastically  striving  forward 
to  meet  their  objectives  in  intercessory  prayer,  increased  mem- 
bership, greater  literacy,  life  service,  and  tithing. 

An  example  of  the  progress  taking  place  throughout  India  is 
found  in  Meerut  District.  It  reports  for  1920  an  addition  of 
5,200  to  a Christian  community  of  25,500;  the  distribution  of 
46,000  portions  of  Scripture  and  11,000  tracts;  365  new  tithers, 
6,500  intercessors,  and  3,000  pledged  to  give  of  their  time  to 
Christian  service.  Seventy  thousand  persons  attended  revival 
services  in  the  district.  All  the  leather  workers  of  Larpura  be- 
came Christians  at  one  time.  There  are  twenty-nine  towns  and 
villages  on  one  circuit  of  the  district  that  are  asking  for  teachers 
and  pastors  that  they  may  learn  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  That  same 
story,  with  local  variations,  could  be  told  of  many  districts  of 
India. 

In  Japan  already  the  financial  goal  of  the  Forward  Movement 
has  been  passed,  with  over  $300,000  subscribed.  There  are  thou- 
sands pledged  to  “win  one”  for  the  Church  each  year. 

These  instances  are  only  samples  of  the  new  birth  of  Metho- 
dism on  the  foreign  fields. 

In  the  midst  of  our  thankfulness  and  gratification  for  this  world 
revival  growing  out  of  the  new  life  in  our  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  there  comes  to  us  a new  note,  a note  alike  of  challenge 
and  of  warning ; we  must  not  fail ! The  mother  Church  of  these 
Centenary  endeavors  must  attain  her  goals  if  she  is  to  keep  the 
faith  with  those  who  are  newly  finding  Christ. 

Bivouac  or  March? 

In  the  words  of  Corresponding  Secretary  Frank  Mason  North: 

“Whatever  may  be  said  of  other  mandates,  here  is  one  which 
comes  from  the  throne  of  power.  To  the  Church  that  mandate  is 
given — it  has  no  racial  or  international  limit — ‘Go  ye  and  disciple 
all  nations.’  That  word  from  the  mountainside  never  was  so 
clear  as  it  is  to-day.  Never  before  in  the  agitated  world  did  the 
deeps  so  call  to  the  deeps. 

“Out  into  such  a field  of  need  the  foreign  missionary  enterprise 
of  our  Church  has  gone  with  new  hopes  and  new  strength  the 
first  year  of  the  Centenary.  Christendom  in  its  history  since  the 
first  century  has  not  known  a greater  movement. 

“With  such  beginnings  we  must  keep  faith  till  the  end.  For  the 
program  which  has  been  laid  down  will  give  among  the  peoples 
of  the  world  a place  of  action  for  the  Gospel  of  our  Lord  for  a 
thousand  years. 

“In  spite  of  all  the  embarrassments  and  disappointments  of  the 
present  time  when  promising  ventures  are  halted  owing  to  in- 
adequate funds,  every  existing  financial  problem  can  be  solved  and 
the  adequate  Centenary  program  for  foreign  missions  can  be 
achieved  if  the  church  will  give  the  board  its  share  of  one  hun- 
dred per  cent  of  the  church’s  Centenary  pledge.  The  Gospel 

6 


never  more  needed  interpretation  in  its  intensity  and  its  ampli- 
tude. Is  it  a time  for  counsels  of  ease ? Shall  we  bivouac  or  shall 
we  march?” 

BUILDING  THE  CHURCH 

Under  the  head  of  “building  the  church”  is  included  the  whole 
range  of  direct  efforts  in  extending  the  Gospel.  The  seriousness 
of  the  present  situation  in  every  field,  is  that  plans  made  and 
promises  given  for  the  erection  of  needed  church  buildings  and 
the  furnishing  of  needed  workers  could  not  be  carried  out  owing 
to  the  gap  between  Centenary  pledges  and  payment.  The  follow- 
ing are  a few  samples  of  the  opportunities  and  the  emergency: 

One  chain  of  projects  of  strategic  importance  which  have  been 
held  up  is  the  group  of  institutional  churches  in  nine  great  cities. 
These  churches  will  do  what  the  Apostle  Paul  did  for  the  great 
nerve  centers  of  the  Roman  Empire  set  the  Gospel  to  work  in 
the  center  of  life.  In  some  cases  building  has  begun.  In  all 
cases  buildings  have  been  promised  and  planned. 

A vivid  sample  of  what  the  delay  means  is  found  in  Yuki  City, 
China,  where  Chinese  Methodists  have  made  100,000  bricks  with 
which  to  build  an  institutional  church.  They  have  purchased  the 
site  for  the  church.  They  have  far  surpassed  their  Centenary 
quota  for  a new  building.  But  the  bricks  are  still  waiting.  The 
promised  Centenary  help  from  the  Church  in  the  United  States 
has  not  come.  The  eager  sacrificial  giving  of  these  Christians  of 
Yuki  has  been  met  with  unpaid  pledges.  No  one  dare  even  pre- 
dict what  the  results  of  this  holdup  will  be,  but  we  all  know  it 
will  be  disastrous  to  the  best  interests  of  the  Kingdom  of  God. 

Another  sample  is  found  in  the  Yenping  District,  where  every 
Centenary  goal  set  has  been  met,  except  one.  This  achievement 
includes  50%  of  the  members  and  20%  of  the  probationers,  mem- 
bers of  the  League  of  Intercessors  ; 25%  increase  in  literacy ; 20% 
in  self-support.  More  than  5%  are  enrolled  as  tithing  stewards. 
The  unreached  goal  is  that  of  adding  2,000  entire  families  to  the 
membership,  but  that  is  rapidly  being  reached.  Yet  these  are  the 
people  to  whom  we  are  denying  our  promised  support. 

In  North  China,  as  a result  of  the  wonderful  famine  relief 
which  the  Methodist  Church  dispersed,  and  the  saving  of  thou- 
sands of  lives,  there  is  an  unprecedented  evangelistic  opportunity. 
This  work  will  have  to  be  handled  with  care  and  wisdom.  The 
gratitude  of  the  Chinese  to  the  Church  is  overwhelming  and  has 
created  a very  large  movement  toward  Christianity.  Neverthe- 
less if  the  proper  care  is  taken  and  sufficient  workers  furnished, 
there  is  opportunity  for  bringing  thousands  of  converts  into  the 
Church. 


INDIA  EVANGELISM 

In  India  the  great  related  movement  of  education  and  the  Mass 
Movement  are  the  lines  of  advance.  The  following  note  in  a 
letter  from  James  Lyon  of  Hissar,  India,  is  an  indication  of  what 
is  taking  place  every  week:  “We  recently  visited  hundreds  of 

7 


places  in  the  Northwest  India  Conference.  At  meetings  held 
about  2,000  people  publicly  acknowledged  Christ.  The  new  con- 
verts demolished  183  places  of  idol  worship.  As  the  result  of 
the  meetings  150  places  were  opened  for  work.” 

Bishop  Warne  writes:  “The  Centenary  has  put  us  on  our  feet. 
The  excessive  cost  of  living  which  made  the  increase  of  salaries 
of  missionaries  and  of  Indian  workers  an  absolute  necessity,  the 
loss  of  exchange,  the  increase  in  transit  expenses — all  greatly  re- 
duced the  work  of  most  missions  in  India.  But  the  Centenary 
has  made  it  possible  for  our  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  to  meet 
these  new  conditions  and  maintain  her  work  and  workers  to  go 
on  expanding.  Only  those  who  are  working  beside  other  mis- 
sions that  have  been  compelled  to  retrench,  can  appreciate  this 
timely  help  that  the  Centenary  has  given  us  in  India.”  He  adds : 
“I  have  been  in  India  over  thirty  years  and  many  times  my  heart 
has  been  thrilled  with  the  great  spiritual  movements  that  have 
enabled  me  to  see  our  Church  grow  from  under  ten  to  over  400,- 
000  souls.  At  no  former  hour  have  I been  thrilled  with  hope  as 
at  present.  Best  of  all,  the  spiritual  life  of  our  meetings  have  been 
greatly  quickened  and  deepened.  They  are  having  an  entirely  new 
view  of  Christ  in  India.  In  the  face  of  this  spirit  the  need  for 
the  promised  teachers  and  schools  to  care  for  the  40,000  coming 
into  the  Church  every  year  through  the  Mass  Movement  must  not 
be  denied.” 

Writing  from  Calcutta,  Bishop  Fred  Fisher  says,  “The  crying 
need  in  both  Bengal  and  Burma  is  vital  evangelistic  reinforce- 
ment. The  Bengal  Conference  has  now  arrived  at  the  place 
where  a great  rising  tide  of  evangelism  is  its  only  hope.  But  the 
great  evangelistic  program  so  necessary  now  cannot  be  carried 
forward  by  the  present  staff.  Our  men  are  languishing ; their 
health  is  breaking  because  every  man  is  carrying  the  load  of  one- 
half  dozen  men.  Our  evangelistic  advance  will  depend  on  in- 
creased reinforcements  in  missionaries  and  money.  If  you  will 
help  us  turn  this  corner,  we  will  show  you  one  of  the  greatest 
spiritual  advances  ever  achieved  on  the  mission  field.” 


EDUCATION 

In  every  field  educational  institutions  with  large  opportunities 
are  denied  the  promised  means  of  meeting  the  demands  made 
upon  them. 

In  China,  for  instance,  fundamental  to  the  whole  program  of 
evangelism  is  the  educational  work  culminating  in  the  four  great 
union  Christian  universities  in  which  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  cooperates.  Peking,  Nanking,  Fukien,  and  West  China 
Universities,  four  of  the  most  influential  institutions  of  learning 
in  the  world,  have  all  begun  strategic  programs  of  development 
and  advance.  Our  share  cannot  be  held  back.  These  institutions 
are  to  set  Christian  standards  for  government  schools  and  the 
leadership  of  new  China  in  a day  of  social  dissolution  and  men- 

8 


acing  chaos.  It  was  possible  to  do  very  little  on  the  university 
program  in  the  first  Centenary  year.  Christian  education  is  the 
most  powerful  evangelistic  approach.  Delay  is  perilous  to  our 
program  of  evangelism. 

In  Hinghwa,  China,  two  teachers  in  the  high  school  are  trying 
to  conduct  classes  in  the  same  place  at  the  same  time.  The  place 
itself  is  unsuited  for  a school.  The  former  students  of  another 
school  have  supplied  the  money  for  two  new  buildings,  provided 
the  money  from  America  comes.  And  it  has  every  inch  of  space, 
including  hall,  porches,  chapel,  teachers’  rooms,  and  study  rooms, 
all  packed,  jammed  and  crammed  with  classes.  They  could  not 
get  another  bov  into  the  place.  And  those  who  want  to  come  are 
beyond  counting. 

In  Malaysia,  payment  due  on  the  Anglo-Chinese  school  at 
Singapore  amounting  to  $90,000  must  be  made.  This  is  by  no 
means  our  only  educational  interest  in  Malaysia,  but  it  is  one  of 
the  most  influential  institutes  in  the  Orient,  with  an  opportunity 
boundless  in  extent  when  the  expansion  into  a university  now 
planned  and  going  forward  is  carried  through. 

In  India  the  Centenary  has  done  a very  fruitful  work  for  Luck- 
now Christian  College.  The  government  of  India  has  pledged 
toward  the  new  buildings  now  going  up  the  unparalleled  govern- 
ment grant  of  $103,000.  They  did  this  because  the  Centenary 
enabled  the  college  to  meet  that  grant  with  $50,000. 

This  program  for  Lucknow  is  only  a part  of  the  educational 
tasks  of  our  Church  in  India.  The  desperate  need  of  the  grow- 
ing Christian  community  can  be  met  only  by  a whole  well-organ- 
ized system  of  education,  which  begins  with  the  primary  day 
schools  in  the  village  and  includes  also  high  schools  and  Bible 
training  schools.  The  acute  problem  is  that  of  village  education. 
There  are  more  than  60,000  children  in  our  Church  in  the  Mass 
Movement  areas.  Only  a small  percentage  of  them  are  receiving 
education.  It  is  easy  to  see  the  disaster  which  will  come  if  the 
church  in  the  next  generation  is  to  be  an  illiterate  Church.  The 
present  needs  are  not  so  much  for  buildings  as  for  teachers,  for 
training  schools  and  supervision  and  endowment,  so  that  promis- 
ing natives  can  be  educated. 

In  Africa  one  part  of  the  carefully  planned  Methodist  program 
is  the  establishment  of  five  industrial  and  agricultural  training 
schools.  One  of  these  is  being  finished ; two  others  should  have 
been  begun  last  year.  One  of  these  is  at  Quessua,  Angola,  in 
East  Africa,  where  8,000  acres  have  been  purchased  and  a trained 
director  is  on  the  ground,  but  where  the  necessary  buildings  and 
tools  have  not  yet  been  supplied.  The  other  institute  which  should 
be  equipped  is  in  Liberia.  The  high  strategy  of  these  schools  is 
that  they  have  so  direct  a bearing  on  the  program  of  establishing 
a self-supporting  native  Christian  community.  Students  are 
trained  for  vocations  in  life  and  their  training  makes  possible 
a more  flourishing  and  successful  Christian  community  and  so 
has  a bearing  on  all  the  future  work  of  the  Church. 

In  South  America  all  our  schools  are  full  to  bursting.  Given 

9 


twice  our  present  plant  and  equipment,  our  school  numbers  would 
double  in  a year  or  two.  Wherever,  by  Centenary  and  local  help, 
extension  and  accommodation  are  secured,  there,  at  once,  the 
numbers  increase.  The  lure  of  English,  of  practical  sense,  of 
better  discipline  and  moral  atmosphere,  the  personal  habits  of 
the  teachers,  their  temperance  and  strict  morality,  all  these  things 
have  brought  them  over  10,000  children  that  Methodism  now 
teaches  and  will  bring  the  number  up  to  50,000  that  will  be  with 
us  when  we  are  ready  to  take  them. 

Four  hundred  thousand  dollars  is  needed  and  should  have  been 
available  for  the  pressing  needs  of  our  schools  in  Latin-America 
during  the  last  year. 

In  Europe  the  outstanding  educational  enterprise  is  the  Col- 
legio  at  Rome.  One  sure  index  of  the  importance  of  the  work 
which  the  Collegio  is  doing  is  the  great  attention  which  the 
Vatican  has  been  paying  to  it  during  the  past  year.  All  that  has 
been  gained  will  be  jeopardized  if  the  plans  made  for  it  are  not 
carried  out  or  are  delayed  for  long  period  of  time.  The  Farm 
School  in  France  at  Charvieu  and  the  orphanages  in  France  and 
in  Italy  are  doing  effective  work  whose  largest  importance  will 
be  seen  only  in  the  future  years. 

MEDICAL  WORK 

Medical  work  on  the  Foreign  Mission  Field  is  not  only  a great 
Christian  ministry  to  physical  need,  but  it  is  also  a most  effective 
means  of  preaching  the  Gospel  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  and  is  a 
first  line  of  defense  for  the  health  of  civilization. 

The  destructive  epidemic — influenza,  which  ranged  over  the 
world,  costing  millions  of  lives,  began  in  an  obscure  section  of 
Asia  Minor,  where  there  was  no  mission  station  and  no  sanitation 
or  medical  care  at  all.  Had  there  been  medical  missionaries 
there,  such  as  have  stopped  epidemics  in  China  and  India,  a large 
part  of  the  destruction  might  have  been  avoided. 

A sample  of  the  hospital  projects  awaiting  funds  which  should 
have  been  available  is  the  hospital  at  Nanchang,  China,  which  is  to 
be  erected  as  a memorial  to  the  late  Bishop  James  W.  Bashford. 
Nanchang  is  a city  of  500,000  people  and  has  a contributing 
country  population  of  15,000,000.  It  is  an  outstanding  case  of 
medical  need  in  our  work  in  China.  Generous  financial  aid  from 
among  the  Chinese  gentry  and  officials  is  available  if  our  help  is 
forthcoming. 

The  Thoburn  Memorial  Hospital  in  Nadiad,  doing  wonderful 
work  with  equipment  that  is  little  less  than  shameful,  is  in  urgent 
need  of  enlarged  equipment.  Over  3,000,000  people  are  depend- 
ing on  medical  aid  from  this  single  institution.  Dr.  Corpron,  the 
physician,  is  an  eminent  eye  specialist  and  surgeon,  but  is  able  to 
do  only  a fraction  of  the  work  that  is  necessary. 

The  Crawford  Memorial  Hospital  at  Vikarabad,  South  India, 
is  another  institution,  for  which  the  promised  aid  must  be  no 
longer  withheld. 


10 


Centenary  Remakes  Home 
Missions 

“The  Centenary  has  made  the  difference  between  success  and 
failure  in  the  home  field,”  says  David  D.  Forsyth,  in  comment- 
ing on  the  fine  way  in  which  the  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  have  responded  to  the  Centenary  appeal.  “There  is 
a greater  sense  of  Christian  Stewardship,  more  intercessory 
prayer  and  a deeper  responsibility  for  personal  evangelism.  This 
is  the  greatest  result  and  is  what  makes  the  outlook  for  the  future 
bright. 

“The  Centenary  pledges  paid  in  have  enabled  the  Board  of 
Home  Missions  and  Church  Extension  to  carry  on  a larger  and 
more  constructive  program  than  was  possible  under  the  old 
‘frontier’  idea  of  Home  Missions.  The  heart  of  the  strictly  mis- 
sionary problem  in  America  is  in  communities  made  up  of  tran- 
sient populations  regardless  of  geographical  location.  The  for- 
eign-speaking folks,  wherever  they  dwell,  the  lumber  men,  the 
toilers  in  mining  camps  and  in  congested  and  industrial  cities,  our 
great  student  populations  and  the  downtown  city  multitudes,  those 
in  the  village  and  the  open  country — wherever  the  population  is 
of  a transient  character,  there  are  we  ministering  in  the  name  of 
Christ  for  the  Methodists  whose  offerings  are  making  possible 
this  new  day. 

“Great  have  been  the  results.  They  are  chronicled  week  by 
week  in  the  Church  Press  and  have  been  brought  to  the  attention 
of  the  Church  in  lantern  slide  and  pamphlet.  What  has  been 
accomplished  in  the  Home  Mission  field  reads  like  a fairy  tale 
of  childhood  days.  And  the  tale  is  only  just  begun.  Shall  it  be 
finished? 

But  the  Task  as  Yet  is  Not  Complete 

“The  unpaid  Centenary  benevolent  apportionments  last  year 
were  counted  on  by  the  Board  of  Home  Missions  and  Church  Ex- 
tension to  carry  out  its  program.  When  this  amount  failed  to 
come  in  drastic  changes  in  the  program  had  to  be  made.  The 
result  is  that  there  are  Methodist  Episcopal  churches  all  over  the 
United  States  that  are  left  in  the  condition  of  uncertainty  and 
despair.  That  the  Church  will  respond,  once  it  knows  the  facts, 
I have  no  doubt.  May  that  day  speedily  come  when  the  last 
individual  who  has  not  yet  paid  in  the  last  amount  now  due  awak- 
ens to  the  cause  of  these  delayed  Kingdom  enterprises,  and  meets 
the  obligation  at  once.” 


11 


With  Unpaid  Centenary  Benevolent  Apportionments  for 
1920  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Through  the 
Board  of  Home  Missions  and  Church  Extension, 
Could — 

Build  Better  Churches 

1.  Invest  $458,000  in  155  modern  churches  where  old  one- 
room  buildings  furnish  inadequate  accommodations  alongside 
modern  school  buildings  and  homes. 

There  is  great  need  of  rebuilding  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  in  large  sections  of  America.  There  are  a surprising 
number  of  communities  in  some  of  the  poorer  agricultural  por- 
tions of  the  East,  Central  West,  and  South,  where  in  building 
churches  generations  ago  to  meet  frontier  conditions,  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church  built  the  rudest  kind  of  one-room  build- 
ings. There  is  a similar  situation  in  some  parts  of  the  West, 
where  in  an  early  day  inexpensive  churches  were  erected  to  meet 
immediate  needs.  In  many  of  these  centers  which  are  now  more 
progressive  and  up-to-date  and  where  public  buildings,  such  as 
schools  and  libraries,  have  been  erected  on  modern  lines,  the 
antiquated  and  inadequate  Methodist  Episcopal  churches  are  yet 
depended  upon  as  centers  of  worship.  Such  buildings  do  not 
meet  the  needs  of  the  ordinary  program  of  the  Church,  and  if 
Methodism  is  to  include  not  only  worship,  but  also  religious 
education  and  community  activities  in  its  program,  such  equip- 
ment is  impossible.  The  Church  that  is  to  meet  the  challenge 
of  the  neighborhood  must  bear  some  resemblance  to  the  rest  of 
the  town. 

Centenary  funds  have  made  it  possible  to  change  religious  con- 
ditions in  many  of  these  communities.  But — 

There  are  153  such  communities  that  would  have  received  help 
this  year  if  Centenary  pledges  had  been  paid  in  full. 

Help  Churchless  Communities 

2.  Invest  $443,000  in  293  church  communities  where  Metho- 
dism has  sole  responsibility  or  opportunity. 

The  Centenary  survey  reveals  the  fact  that  there  is  an  increas- 
ing number  of  communities  in  America  in  which  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  has  the  sole  responsibility,  due  in  some  cases 
to  the  fact  that  churches  which  were  once  competitors  have  given 
up  the  field.  In  a large  percentage  of  the  communities  in  which 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  is  responsible  for  the  religious 
life  of  the  people  it  either  has  no  church  or  has  an  inadequate 
one.  There  is  some  question  about  the  wisdom  of  a denomination 
entering  a field  which  is  already  at  least  partly  served  by  another 
religious  body,  but  when  the  field  is  entirely  dependent  upon  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  then  our  responsibility  is  clear. 
There  are  296  such  neighborhoods  where  assistance  should  have 
been  given  last  year  in  helping  to  build  churches  if  our  income 
had  made  it  possible. 

One  county  in  the  state  of  Washington,  containing  1,146,847 

12 


acres,  90%  of  which  are  under  cultivation,  with  a population  of 
35,000  people,  has  107  school  districts,  23  of  which  have  schools 
with  two  or  more  rooms,  containing  22,000  people,  without  re- 
ligious services  of  any  sort,  and  yet  all  these  communities  are 
easy  of  access.  These  districts  are  marked  on  a map  on  the  poster. 
The  failure  of  any  other  denomination  to  maintain  religious  serv- 
ices in  small  towns  in  this  county,  under  pressure  of  high  cost 
living,  demonstrates  the  responsibility  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  to  provide  the  religious  leadership. 

This  part  of  the  county  has  always  baffled  those  who  admin- 
istered the  work  by  the  old  circuit  plan,  because  the  religious 
sentiment  in  these  sections  is  not  sufficiently  developed  to  make 
the  necessary  preliminary  organization  possible.  The  Whitman 
County  Methodist  Preachers’  Association,  which  is  an  active 
and  forward-looking  group  of  men,  has  decided  to  attack  this 
problem  by  the  use  of  a well-equipped  missionary.  They  have  the 
man,  in  fact,  there  are  two  of  him,  an  experienced  man  and  his 
wife,  both  good  preachers.  They  have  a car  and  a stereopticon, 
and  go  from  schoolhouse  to  schoolhouse,  organizing  the  social 
and  religious  life  of  the  communities.  As  the  development  of 
religious  sentiment  warrants,  adjacent  groups  of  communities  will 
be  tied  together  in  working  organizations,  the  nucleus  of  one  of 
these  now  being  in  process  of  formation  at  Wilcox. 

The  Presbyterians  do  not  have  a resident  pastor  in  the  county. 
They  have  six  abandoned  churches  and  four  that  may  go  again, 
but  are  now  closed.  The  Baptists  have  four  abandoned  churches, 
and  three  going.  The  Christians  have  seven  abandoned  churches, 
and  six  going,  but  only  four  with  resident  pastors.  They  have 
twenty  abandoned  churches  on  the  Moscow  District.  The  Con- 
gregationalists  have  one  resident  pastor,  and  in  three  other  places 
are  federated  with  other  churches,  in  two  cases  with  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church.  The  people  in  the  outlying  sections  are 
becoming  increasingly  wealthy  and  decreasingly  religious.  Re- 
ligious idealism  is  in  no  sense  keeping  pace  with  material  devel- 
opment. Wealth  increases  and  souls  decay,  and  the  situation  is 
full  of  menace,  not  only  to  the  rural  sections,  but  to  the  centers 
where  religious  work  is  already  established.  Because  it  is  to 
these  centers  the  people  come  when  they  retire,  and  to  which 
their  children  come  to  school,  bringing  with  them  their  lack  of 
church  contact,  and  pagan  ideals  from  the  unchurched  sections 
from  which  they  come.  Young  people  by  the  score  are  growing 
up  absolute  pagans,  with  no  idea  of  religious  restraint,  many  of 
them  never  having  been  inside  a church.  The  situation  has  all 
the  dangerous  potentialities  of  abundant  material  resources,  un- 
leavened with  Christian  idealism.  The  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  has  a responsibility  for  Whitman  County,  the  fourth 
greatest  in  the  United  States,  because  the  other  denominations 
either  do  not  see  the  situation  or  have  frankly  quit  the  job. 

13 


Already  the  Board  of  Home  Missions  and  Church  Extension 
has  caused  rejoicing  in  such  cases,  with  funds  provided  by  Cen- 
tenary givers.  But — 

Help  could  be  given  here  and  in  the  other  churchless  communi- 
ties asking  for  churches  and  preachers  if  the  shortage  in  Cen- 
tenary apportionments  due  the  Board  of  Home  Missions  and 
Church  Extension  was  paid. 

Minister  to  Negroes 

5.  Grant  $165,600  to  158  inadequately  churched  city  and  in- 
dustrial communities  to  which  Negroes  have  migrated  in  large 
numbers. 

When  the  original  Centenary  survey  was  made  prior  to  the 
migration  of  hundreds  of  thousands  of  Negroes  northward,  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  had  but  one  colored  church  in  the 
region  of  the  city  of  Pittsburgh.  After  the  migration,  there  were 
enough  Negro  communities  developed  in  industrial  fields  in  and 
around  Pittsburgh  to  constitute  a Colored  Conference  District. 
So  Bishop  W.  F.  McDowell  organized  a district  and  appointed  a 
District  Superintendent.  But  there  is  still  only  one  church  build- 
ing for  these  twenty-five  Negro  communities.  With  Centenary 
help  a second  is  being  built,  and  soon  there  will  be  a third.  The 
Department  of  Evangelism  has  furnished  a tent  for  evangelistic 
meetings  to  which  thousands  have  come. 

The  new  Pittsburgh  District  of  the  Washington  Annual  Con- 
ference, map  of  which  is  shown  on  poster,  embraces  twenty-seven 
counties,  namely ; Greene,  Washington,  Beaver,  Lawrence,  Mer- 
cer, Crawford,  Erie,  Warren,  Forest,  Venango,  Butler,  Allegheny, 
Fayette,  Westmoreland,  Indiana,  Jefferson,  McKean,  Elk,  Potter, 
Cameron,  Clinton,  Center,  Clearfield,  Cambria,  Blair,  Bedford, 
and  Summerset,  in  which  there  are  75,000  Negroes,  fully  25.000 
of  whom  came  in  during  the  last  four  years.  Baptist  Missions 
have  sprung  up  and  Holy  Rollers  thrive,  all  of  which  are  served 
by  preachers  who  are  themselves  laborers  in  industries  of  this 
section. 

Some  Results : Congregations  established,  6 ; total  membership, 
200;  Sunday  school  enrollment,  419;  congregations  paying  more 
than  one  half  of  pastor’s  support,  5.  One  congregation  six 
months  old,  worshiping  in  a basement,  pays  pastor  $70  a month, 
pays  District  Superintendent  and  Bishop,  and  accepted  a Cen- 
tenary quota,  besides  raising  $3,000  for  a new  church  building. 

Some  Needs:  (1)  Assistance  to  build  where  congregations 
have  been  established  and  have  pastors.  (2)  Twelve  additional 
workers,  to  care  for  twenty-five  opportunities  and  responsibili- 
ties. 

What  the  Centenary  has  made  it  possible  to  do  for  the  Negro 
in  the  United  States  makes  a story  of  romance  and  adventure. 
But — 

These  twenty-five  new  Negro  communities  with  but  one  church 

14 


building  are  typical  of  a situation  throughout  the  country  that 
failure  to  pay  Centenary  pledges  is  making  it  impossible  for  the 
Board  of  Home  Missions  and  Church  Extension  to  meet. 

Equip  Foreign  Language  Projects 

4.  Invest  $226,000  in  //j  importunate  situations  among  for- 
eign-speaking peoples  where  progress  is  impossible  without  ade- 
quate equipment. 

The  Centenary  has  made  it  possible  for  Methodism  to  go  at 
its  share  of  the  foreign  language  ministry  in  the  United  States 
with  new  vigor.  And  great  results  are  being  attained.  But — 

With  the  exception  of  three  or  four  of  the  foreign-speaking 
projects  in  the  United  States  surveyed  this  year  by  the  Bureau  of 
Foreign-Speaking  Work  of  the  Board  of  Home  Missions  and 
Church  Extension  there  has  come  first,  surprise,  then  shame, 
then  alarm,  and  then  amazement  at  what  was  found.  Surprise 
at  the  poor  equipment,  shame  for  the  inadequate  and  run-down 
conditions  of  the  buildings,  alarm  at  the  poor  standing  such  ven- 
tures have  in  the  community,  and  amazement  that  Methodist 
Episcopal  foreign-speaking  pastors  have  been  able  to  accomplish 
what  they  have,  so  poor  has  been  the  equipment  furnished  them. 
Their  efficiency  could  be  improved  fifty  per  cent  if  plant  im- 
provements could  be  financed.  A little  paint  and  interior  decora- 
tion at  one  place,  a new  roof  or  a new  pair  of  steps  at  another, 
an  adequate  organ  at  a third,  and  a set  of  kindergarten  tables  or 
playground  equipment  at  a fourth.  The  list  is  almost  endless.  A 
few  illustrations  indicate  concretely  this  need. 

In  a community  in  Minnesota  a church  built  for  community 
work,  with  social  halls  and  gymnasium,  was  allowed  to  run  down. 
The  gymnasium  is  now  used  for  a storage  room  and  the  entire 
building  requires  rebuilding  and  painting.  The  pastor  could 
reach  a large  number  of  Finns  and  Austrians  if  he  were  properly 
backed  up.  Twelve  hundred  dollars  would  meet  this  need. 

In  an  Italian  Mission  in  Vermont,  where  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church  is  alone  in  the  field  there  are  forty  young  people  be- 
tween the  ages  of  sixteen  and  twenty -five.  Two  of  these  are 
preparing  for  Christian  service  as  the  result  of  the  labors  of  a 
heroic  group  of  deaconesses.  There  is  need  of  equipment  for 
kindergarten,  gymnasium,  and  indeed  for  an  entire  building.  The 
work  now  is  being  done  in  an  old  damp  basement  with  rough 
cement  walls  where  the  rain  always  seeps  through.  An  old, 
wheezy  reed  organ  furnishes  the  music.  The  one  room  for  wor- 
ship is  used  for  almost  everything,  which  drives  the  worshipful 
Italians  away  rather  than  attracts  them.  A little  help  was  given 
last  year,  but  for  a piano  and  carpenter’s  and  painter’s  job,  and  a 
new  drainage  system,  $1,000  is  needed  at  once. 

In  an  Iowa  city  there  is  a community  of  six  thousand  Bo- 
hemians, the  Methodist  Episcopal  pastor  is  the  acknowledged 
leader  of  the  colony.  His  church  of  125  members  last  year  raised 
for  all  purposes  $825.  They  met  their  Centenary  quota  in  full 

15 


and  have  a fine  lot  where  a community  hall  should  be  built.  The 
local  English-speaking  churches  and  the  mills  near  by  would  more 
than  double  the  amount  of  the  Centenary  appropriation,  if  the 
project  could  be  launched. 

In  the  center  of  a great  steel  industrial  section  in  Pennsylvania 
the  new  Bohemian  pastor  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  has 
doubled  the  attendance  of  his  fellow  countrymen  during  the  last 
six  months.  But  the  front  steps  to  the  church  are  dangerous. 
The  back  rooms  of  the  church,  which  should  be  used  for  clubs 
and  class  work,  are  rented  as  a suite  to  eek  out  enough  money 
to  pay  the  bills.  A trap  door  and  narrow  rickety  steps  lead  to  the 
basement.  The  building  needs  paint  inside  and  out.  English- 
speaking  people  will  donate  the  material  if  the  Board  of  Home 
Missions  and  Church  Extension  will  put  $1,000  into  making  this 
building  a worthy  place  of  worship.  Meanwhile  wre  say  to  these 
people  of  reverent  worshipful  meditative  temperament:  “The 
Lord  is  in  his  Holy  Temple.” 

In  a Massachusetts  town  a beginning  was  made  to  do  adequate 
work  among  the  Portuguese.  The  first  part  of  a Centenary  ap- 
propriation was  used  to  buy  property  and  build  one  unit  of  a 
building.  But  there  has  been  no  money  to  continue  it.  The  un- 
finished, unattractive  walls  do  not  provide  a decent  place  in  which 
to  worship.  And  the  people,  used  to  the  worshipful  sanctuaries 
of  Europe,  say  to  their  pastors,  “Better  no  worship  at  all  than  to 
dishonor  God  in  such  a house.” 

While  waiting  for  the  beautiful  new  building  which  was  prom- 
ised for  Plaza  Community  Church  for  Latin-Americans,  Los 
Angeles,  a variety  of  makeshifts  are  being  used.  Worship  is 
conducted  in  an  unfinished  abandoned  army  hut.  An  old  greasy 
garage  next  door  is  used  for  a day  nursery'.  In  the  clinic  over 
1,400  people  were  helped  last  year.  There  is  an  excellent  staff 
with  a physician  who  can  pray  as  well  as  heal,  and  who  could 
double  his  clinic  work  if  he  had  equipment.  The  present  condi- 
tions are  a reproach  to  Methodism. 

Minister  in  Industrial  Communities 

5.  Proceed  zvith  191  projects  in  congested  city  and  industrial 
centers,  thereby  providing  Sunday  schools  and  religious  serv- 
ices for  unchurched  multitudes,  to  cost  $1,485,000. 

In  a California  community  with  a population  of  8,000.  of  whom 
3,500  are  Portuguese  and  Italians,  there  is  no  other  Protestant 
church.  The  present  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  building  of 
two  rooms  is  inadequate  for  meeting  a greatly  increased  popu- 
lation, due  to  demand  of  many  new  industries.  The  local  church 
has  taken  subscriptions,  but  without  missionary  aid  is  unable  to 
proceed  with  their  building.  There  are  thirty-one  large  manufac- 
turing concerns  and  a number  of  smaller  concerns  in  the  parish. 

In  a town  where  the  population  of  the  parish  is  20.000,  the 
present  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  erected  in  1867.  Two 
large  ship-building  plants  were  established  here  during  the  war, 

16 


as  well  as  other  industries.  There  is  a large  foreign  population. 
No  church  is  meeting  community  needs.  The  Protestant  respon- 
sibility is  mainly  ours.  And  we  have  only  six  families  with  an 
income  of  $1,500  a year. 

A railroad  and  manufacturing  suburban  city  of  300,000  people 
in  the  Middle  West,  with  largest  terminal  of  Big  Four  Railroad, 
and  twenty-seven  manufacturing  concerns  employing  about  5,000 
men,  with  a population  nearly  15,000,  has  a small  Baptist  and  a 
small  Congregational  church  in  the  community,  also  a strong 
Roman  Catholic  church.  There  is  no  community  program  in  any 
of  these.  Our  Church  is  not  strong  numerically,  yet  is  serving 
more  of  these  people  than  any  other.  Parts  of  the  Sunday  school 
are  now  meeting  in  four  near-by  homes  and  in  the  parsonage. 
Thousands  are  unchurched  simply  because  of  inadequate  facili- 
ties. There  is  “no  room  in  the  church.” 

In  a Negro  parish  of  5,000  in  Alabama  aid  is  needed  to  replace 
a one-room  building  valued  at  $600.  The  population  is  increas- 
ing rapidly  on  account  of  new  industries. 

A rapidly  growing  college  community  in  Indiana,  in  a city  of 
300,000,  with  parish  of  15,000,  has  no  room  and  no  program 
adequate  for  its  task.  The  local  church  will  assume  four  fifths  of 
the  cost  of  a new  project  and  all  maintenance  expense.  There 
is  a membership  of  900,  with  two  churches  in  community. 

At  the  county  seat  of  Clearfield  County,  Pennsylvania,  the 
West  Side  Parish  has  a population  of  3,000  strong.  It  is  sepa- 
rated from  other  parts  of  the  town  by  the  Susquehanna  River 
and  is  connected  by  bridges.  This  section  of  Clearfield  has  nearly 
all  the  desirable  building  lots  for  homes ; therefore  must  be  and 
will  be  the  outlet  for  the  future  growth  of  the  town.  There  is  a 
strong  community  life  also  developing.  To  meet  this  responsibil- 
ity for  community  life,  especially  among  the  young  people,  the 
Methodists  have  at  the  present  time  only  a little,  old-fashioned 
church  building  containing  an  auditorium  and  two  small  rooms 
back  of  the  pulpit,  which  were  built  on  at  a later  date.  Later 
they  built  a balcony,  but  at  the  present  time  they  have  a church 
membership  of  500  and  a Sunday-school  enrollment  of  900. 
There  is  no  appropriation  available  as  yet  because  of  limited 
funds. 

Aid  is  needed  for  a parish  house  for  work  with  the  sailors  and 
employees  located  at  the  Portsmouth  Navy  Yard.  A plot  of 
ground  has  been  purchased  near  the  entrance  to  the  naval  station, 
with  the  hope  that  the  Centenary  income  would  permit  an  ap- 
propriation for  building  in  1921.  The  chaplain  in  charge  of  the 
yard  states  that  such  a building  is  greatly  needed,  and  would,  in 
his  judgment,  be  crowded  constantly.  The  building  would  be 
used  as  Hostess  House,  Parish  House,  Library,  etc.,  for  the 
sailors.  There  are  in  Kittery  no  facilities  for  social  work,  nor 
any  elevating  influences  to  appeal  to  the  men.  The  church  re- 
sponsibility is  entirely  Methodist  Episcopal,  and  we  have  only 
an  old  village  church,  not  conveniently  located.  A total  of  4,000 

17 


sailors  is  a low  number  for  the  yard,  besides  4,400  civilian  em- 
ployees. More  than  8,000  men  are  constantly  identified  with 
the  Portsmouth  Navy  Yard,  which  is  a permanent  yard,  doing 
special  type  of  repair  and  drydock  work  for  the  navy.  Some- 
times as  many  as  fifty  ships  are  in  the  harbor.  The  famous  naval 
prison  is  here,  also  a naval  hospital.  Our  small  church,  part  of 
a Circuit,  is  the  only  religious  force  in  the  community.  It  is  most 
regrettable  that  we  cannot  have  in  Kittery  a fully  equipped  Parish 
House,  with  an  assistant  pastor  and  a woman  worker.  All  we 
have  in  the  face  of  this  opportunity  and  responsibility  is  a vacant 
lot  and  an  old  church  a mile  away  from  the  navy  yard. 

An  Illinois  city  of  17,000  people  and  growing  rapidly  on  ac- 
count of  great  industrial  expansion  has  few  churches  in  the  city 
and  none  doing  effective  work  aside  from  our  own,  which  is  doing 
a fairly  good  work  but  is  handicapped  by  old-style  brick  building 
with  one  room  and  a small  lecture  room.  It  is  a very  important 
railway  and  steamboat  transportation  point. 

In  a smelting  and  steel  mill  town  of  70,000  folks  in  Colorado, 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  built  in  1886  when  the  place 
was  a frontier  village.  It  is  now  largely  of  foreign  population, 
especially  Mexican.  A full  program  of  religious,  Americaniza- 
tion, social,  and  educational  work  is  planned,  but  there  are  no 
funds  with  which  to  proceed. 

Our  church  in  East  Braintree,  Mass.,  a town  of  10,000  people, 
a small,  two-room  frame  building,  was  erected  in  1891.  The  pop- 
ulation has  greatly  increased  on  account  of  the  Fall  River  Ship 
Yard  and  other  industries  located  at  East  Braintree,  during  and 
since  the  war,  including  a great  oil  refinery.  One  hundred  new 
houses  were  built  in  a single  development.  Our  membership  is 
small,  and  unable,  without  aid,  to  meet  present  need  in  this 
greatly  increased  population.  A local  financial  campaign  has 
been  put  on,  but  the  project  cannot  go  forward  without  Home 
Mission  aid. 

The  list  of  communities  of  this  sort  that  have  been  helped  to 
secure  adequate  church  plants  and  equipment  by  means  of  Cen- 
tenary funds  is  a long  one.  But  the  list  as  yet  untouched  is  also 
long. 

Send  Forth  Evangelist  Missionaries 

6.  Commission  tliirty-tzvo  missionary  evangelists  to  minister 
to  isolated  families,  churchless  communities,  lumber  camps, 
migrant  groups  and  weak  churches,  for  $63,000. 

The  logging  camps  offer  a fruitful  field  of  service.  The  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  cannot  afford  to  be  unmindful  of  the 
challenge  presented  by  the  crying  need  of  these  men  for  religious 
privileges.  Isolated  as  they  often  are,  the  tactful  worker  with  a 
real  program  of  Christian  service  is  welcomed  in  the  camps  be- 
cause he  comes  in  the  Spirit  of  the  Master,  whose  principles  arc 
held  in  the  highest  respect  by  the  loggers  as  a whole.  They  de- 

18 


mand  a religion  whose  results  will  be  apparent  in  the  entirety 
of  life.  But  only  a few  evangelists  can  be  sent  because  of  lack 
of  funds. 

During  the  past  year  six  rural  fields  in  Michigan  have  been 
completely  transformed  and  four  others  revived  and  stimulated 
by  a constructive  evangelistic  program.  Four  hundred  and  twen- 
ty-six new  members  have  been  received,  159  have  been  baptized. 
167  signed  the  life  service  pledge,  173  signed  tithe  pledge,  and 
$2,085  was  raised  for  local  improvements.  The  membership  in- 
crease averaged  219%  for  the  year.  The  pastor’s  salary  has  been 
increased  in  some  instances  three  times  former  amounts  paid  as 
a result  of  work  in  thirty-five  fields  on  the  Saginaw  Bay  District 
following  the  program  fostered  by  the  Department  of  Evangelism. 
Nearly  every  possible  field  has  been  placed  upon  a self-supporting 
basis.  This  type  of  work  is  productive  of  the  greatest  results. 

Religious  forums  is  a Centenary  project  in  the  Harlem  section 
of  New  York  City,  in  which  field  are  sixty-two  churches  and 
seventeen  synagogues  having  100,000  members,  and  100,000  labor 
radicals.  As  clear  cut  as  with  a knife  is  the  cleavage  between 
these  church  members  and  these  radicals.  How  reconcile  them? 
Religious  forums  are  conducted  as  an  intermediary  group  in 
radical  headquarters  and  in  churches,  thereby  bringing  each  to 
the  other  and  thereby  bringing  spiritual  dynamic  to  the  radical 
and  social  vision  to  the  church  member.  We  go  where  men  are. 
John  20:21:  Reconciliation,  not  compromise! 

The  gospel  auto  is  preaching  the  gospel  to  non-church-going 
San  Francisco.  Hundreds  are  reached  weekly  through  the  in- 
dustrial plants.  Street  meetings  are  held  in  the  most  congested 
and  foreign  sections.  Testaments  and  portions  of  the  gospels  are 
given  to  those  coming  forward  and  promising  to  read  them. 
Thousands  of  cards  and  tracts  have  been  distributed.  Definite 
campaign  among  foreigners  in  their  own  tongue  is  planned. 

Some  results  of  district  evangelism  on  Alva  District,  Okla- 
homa Conference,  1920,  are : Five  meetings,  averaging  forty 
conversions  each.  Sunday-school  enrollment  increased  50%. 
Three  new  Epworth  Leagues  organized.  Arnett:  Formerly  paid 
pastor  $800;  now  pays  pastor  $1,200,  and  has  repaired  parson- 
age and  will  remodel  church.  Waynoka:  Formerly  paid  pastor 
$1,000;  now  pays  pastor  $1,800.  Burlington:  Formerly  paid  pas- 
tor (for  one-fourth  time)  $200;  now  pays  pastor  (for  one-half 
time)  $780,  and  will  build  $8,000  church.  Byron:  Formerly  re- 
ceived $100  to  $200,  missionary  money;  now  pays  pastor  $1,500. 
Vici : Now  being  reorganized  for  enlarged  program. 

Summer  tent  meetings  in  rural  fields  are  proving  continuously 
fruitful.  Over  three  hundred  conversions  have  been  reported  on 
Ottumwa  District,  as  a result  of  this  method.  Not  half  the  calls 
can  be  answered  for  this  kind  of  meeting  in  the  rural  fields. 

During  nine  months  in  Whitman  County,  Washington,  the 
missionary  evangelist  and  his  wife  traveled  incessantly,  visiting 
isolated  schools  and  farmhouses  in  unchurched  sections,  holding 

19 


143  public  services,  sixty  with  stereopticon  scenes  from  the  life 
of  Christ  and  Centenary  pictures.  Five  thousand  one  hundred 
and  seventeen  persons  attended,  the  smallest  number  being  fif- 
teen, the  largest,  350.  An  invitation  to  become  Christians  was 
always  given  and  142  responded  to  date.  In  the  unchurched 
places  were  found  ninety-seven  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  seventy-six  Disciples,  twenty-nine  Baptists,  eight- 
een Presbyterians,  and  seventy-one  belonging  to  smaller  sects. 

The  Albia  Mission,  among  the  coal  mining  camps  of  Iowa,  was 
opened  last  September,  and  a missionary  pastor  who  is  a mem- 
ber of  the  Miners’  Union  was  put  in  charge.  He  has  been  busy 
making  surveys  of  the  camps  opening  Sunday  schools,  establish- 
ing preaching  services  and  prayer  meetings.  Several  evangelistic 
meetings  have  been  held,  resulting  in  over  fifty  conversions  and 
the  organization  of  two  community  churches.  Similar  plans  are 
being  worked  out  in  other  camps  with  promising  results.  Several 
abandoned  churches  will  be  moved  in  to  provide  houses  of  wor- 
ship. Adventism,  Mormonism,  and  other  fanatical  cults  are  at 
work  among  these  simple  people.  Sabbath  desecration,  worldli- 
ness, and  religious  indifference  are  general.  But  God  has  set  an 
open  door  for  this  pastor-evangelist.  He  is  gathering  a people 
unto  His  name  in  every  camp  that  time  and  resources  have  made 
it  possible  for  us  to  enter. 

“A  few  days  ago,  while  the  writer  was  visiting  the  sick  in  the 
State  Hospital  of  Missouri,  a strange  lady  called  him  to  her  bed- 
side and  asked  if  there  was  not  someone  who  could  go  down  into 
the  country  where  she  lived  and  help  them  to  organize  a Sunday 
school  and  go  down  and  preach  to  them  occasionally.  On  being 
questioned  as  to  the  location  of  the  homestead  section  where  she 
lived,  it  was  found  to  be  eighty-five  miles  away.  Sixty  by  rail, 
and  twenty-five  across  country.  What  can  a pastor  do  in  such  a 
case,  when  he  has  the  care  of  a church  of  nearly  six  hundred 
members  in  a town  12,000  population,  ministering  to  a parish 
from  eighty  to  one  hundred  miles  square?” 

But — 

Think  of  what  could  be  done  to  win  America  to  Christ  if  funds 
were  available ! 

Train  More  Leaders 

7.  Put  $76,800  into  512  of  the  best-trained  leaders  the  Church 
can  provide  for  the  most  difficult,  complex,  and  needy  situations 
in  America. 

Some  of  the  greatest  results  of  Centenary  investments  in  the 
Home  Field  have  come  from  placing  of  specially  trained  work- 
ers in  churches  that  were  about  at  the  end  of  their  usefulness 
under  the  old  order. 

A Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  New  York  City  in  a section 
that  had  changed  from  residential  to  downtown  in  character  was 
in  despair.  With  missionary  aid  it  organized  a community  pro- 
gram one  year  ago,  installing  three  full-time  specially  trained 
workers,  a director  of  religious  education,  a director  of  com- 

20 


munity  organization  and  recreation,  and  a parish  visitor.  As  a 
result  of  a new  program  nearly  four  hundred  people  have  been 
received  into  church  membership.  The  Sunday  school  and  con- 
gregation are  three  times  as  large  as  when  the  program  was 
launched.  Both  pastor  and  church  members  claim  that  this 
phenomenal  increase  is  a direct  result  of  these  specially  trained 
workers.  This  church  is  now  putting  in  additional  equipment  for 
the  Sunday  school  and  social  program  to  cost  $20,000. 

A little  over  a year  ago  a Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  Den- 
ver, Colo.,  completed  and  dedicated  a new  parish  house  costing 
$83,000.  Four  specially  trained  workers  were  installed  and  a 
community  program  was  undertaken.  At  the  end  of  the  first  six 
months  450  people  joined  the  church.  The  Sunday  school  had 
increased  from  300  to  an  average  of  800.  The  pastor,  writing 
April  1,  said  that  he  had  received  280  additional  members  in 
the  church  and  the  Sunday  school  and  through  March  had  an  at- 
tendance as  follows:  First  Sunday,  1,300;  second  Sunday,  1,283; 
third  Sunday,  1,579;  fourth  Sunday,  1,300.  The  congregation 
now  taxes  the  capacity  of  the  church.  This  church  prior  to  the 
launching  of  the  new  social  and  community  program  was  con- 
sidered to  be  defeated. 

A Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  Camden,  N.  J.,  stands  in 
the  downtown  congested  district  and  is  serving  a very  poor  class 
of  people.  For  a number  of  years  it  was  thought  it  would  be 
impossible  for  this  church  to  continue  serving  in  the  community. 
An  intensified  social  and  community  program  was  started  at  a 
very  small  expense  and  one  special  worker  was  employed.  The 
pastor  states  that  the  congregations  have  been  quadrupled.  He  is 
conducting  street  meetings  every  night,  specializing  in  children 
and  young  people,  and  the  church  is  becoming  the  recognized 
center  of  the  whole  district  for  the  young  people  and  the  boys 
and  girls.  The  Sunday  school  is  reaching  large  numbers. 

An  old  English-speaking  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  New 
York  City  finally  abandoned  its  building  and  consented  that  it 
should  be  turned  over  for  community  work  in  connection  with 
Jefferson  Park  Italian  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  An  invest- 
ment of  $28,000  was  made  in  remodeling  the  church  for  this  pur- 
pose. At  once  a great  program  was  launched  and  a staff  of  work- 
ers employed.  Three  months  later  more  than  one  thousand  Ital- 
ian boys  and  girls  were  meeting  each  Sunday  afternoon  for  Sun- 
day school  in  this  building.  There  has  also  been  a large  increase 
in  the  membership  of  the  Jefferson  Park  Church  as  well  as  its 
Sunday  school,  which  has  taken  on  new  life. 

There  are  two  Methodist  Episcopal  churches  in  South  Phila- 
delphia located  among  congested  groups  of  Italians  and  Syrian 
people,  both  of  which  are  taking  on  new  life  because  of  the  work 
of  trained  helpers.  More  than  two  hundred  children  were  cared 
for  in  their  Daily  Vacation  Bible  Schools  during  the  summer 
months.  The  playground  conducted  in  connection  with  one  of 
these  churches  is  crowded  daily  with  children  and  mothers.  The 
playground  is  supervised  and  directed  by  competent  helpers. 

21 


The  Commission  on  Immigration  which  made  its  report  to 
Congress  in  1909  stated  that  there  were  105  great  colonization 
schemes  in  rural  fields  in  nineteen  states  east  of  the  Mississippi 
River.  One  of  these  colonies  is  in  southern  New  Jersey,  the 
people  being  Italians.  This  movement  in  New  Jersey  began  in 
1873,  and  there  are  now  large  sections  of  the  southern  rural  part 
of  the  state  occupied  by  Italians.  The  Board  of  Home  Missions 
and  Church  Extension  has  scarcely  touched  this  needy  field.  The 
District  Superintendent  of  one  of  these  sections,  with  the  help  of 
the  Board  of  Home  Missions  and  Church  Extension,  two  years 
ago  employed  a woman  who  had  been  a school-teacher  among 
these  rural  Italian  people.  She  now  gives  all  her  time  to  Christian 
work  among  them.  As  a result  of  her  persistent  efforts  she 
operates  four  Sunday  schools  for  Italian  children  in  addition  to 
other  church  activities.  She  makes  full  use  of  all  the  agencies 
in  the  state  and  township  which  can  be  made  to  serve  the  com- 
munity. She  has  secured  the  cooperation  of  the  Department  of 
Education  and  conducts  three  night  classes  in  which  she  teaches 
English  to  Italians.  She  distributes  one  hundred  books  every 
week  furnished  by  the  State  Library.  Through  her  influence  a 
nurse  has  been  secured  for  the  township  from  the  Visiting 
Nurses’  Association.  She  has  secured  from  the  Department  of 
Agriculture  a domestic  science  teacher  who  goes  from  home  to 
home  giving  instructions  to  the  mothers  and  daughters.  Sewing 
and  music  are  also  taught  by  this  Christian  missionary.  During 
the  summer  great  “community  sings”  have  been  a feature  of  the 
program  of  the  church  and  the  Sunday  schools.  She  has  enlisted 
the  aid  of  all  of  these  agencies  to  strengthen  her  in  her  work  for 
the  Kingdom.  Of  the  105  great  colonies  reported  by  the  Com- 
mission on  Immigration  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  has 
been  able  to  enter  only  a few  in  a strong  vital  way.  If  we  had 
the  workers  and  money  for  their  support,  what  is  being  done  in 
one  community  in  southern  New  Jersey  could  be  duplicated  in  a 
hundred  places. 

These  are  a few  illustrations  of  what  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church  is  doing  both  in  great  cities  and  rural  communities 
that  have  been  breaking  due  to  rapid  changes  in  population,  but 
which  have  been  saved  and  been  made  efficient  with  the  more  in- 
tensive program  which  has  been  made  possible  by  the  employment 
of  specially  trained  workers. 

Finish  Half-Built  Churches 

8.  With  $104,000  complete  tzuenty-six  church  building  proj- 
ects nozv  delayed  but  started  zvith  the  expectation  of  Centenary 
funds. 

Not  the  least  distressing  among  the  delayed  projects  are  those 
which  were  started  with  a hole  in  the  ground,  but  hardly  reached 
the  surface  before  they  paralyzed,  some  actually  perishing,  be- 
cause $104,000  on  which  the  Board  of  Home  Missions  and  Church 
Extension  was  depending  for  aid  to  twenty-six  of  such  undertak- 
ings failed  to  get  to  the  Centenary  treasury.  Some  of  these  un 

22 


fortunate  enterprises  are  in  the  small  towns,  but  most  of  them  are 
in  growing  communities  and  large  cities.  The  disappointment  and 
distress  of  these  churches  are  indescribable,  especially  in  the  in- 
dustrial centers  where  the  catastrophic  sag  in  financial  resources 
has  absolutely  shut  out  every  hope  of  realizing  their  modest 
“House  of  the  Lord.” 

One  example  will  illustrate. 

In  an  industrial  community  congested  with  people  and  blighted 
with  crass  forms  of  perdition,  a small  but  substantial  member- 
ship heroically  kept  the  gospel  light  burning,  in  a one-room 
church  with  a small  kitchen  attachment  for  the  primary  class  of 
the  Sunday  school.  For  twelve  long  years  they  prayed  and 
plodded  for  a new  church.  Regular  contributions  which  had  the 
unmistakable  blood  mark  of  sacrifice  on  them  were  made  to  the 
building  fund  whose  growth  was  discouragingly  slow.  Suddenly 
there  appeared  a new  light  on  their  horizon,  begetting  glowing 
hopes  of  realized  dreams.  It  was  the  Centenary  with  its  appeal 
for  and  its  promise  of  help.  They  were  struck  as  if  by  lightning 
when  the  portly  quota  arrived.  The  pastor,  official  members,  com- 
mittees and  the  Ladies’  Aid  Society  talked  it  over,  and  shook 
their  heads  in  despair. 

They  took  it  to  the  next  prayer  meeting,  where  it  soon  became 
the  center  of  their  thought  and  talk  and  supplication.  They 
prayed  on  until  they  had  “prayed  themselves  through.”  Those 
were  freighted  hours  of  unprecedented  possibilities  and  resulted 
in  sacrificially  meeting  the  quota  on  which  already  two  years’  sub- 
scription has  been  paid. 

Glad  tidings  reached  them  when  they  were  informed  that  their 
project  had  been  included  in  the  survey  and  would  bring  them 
enough  aid  to  build  their  proposed  church.  The  ramshackle,  old 
building  was  at  once  torn  down  to  make  room  for  the  new  struc- 
ture. A few  rooms  were  rented  in  a near-by  dwelling  to  house 
the  church  and  the  Sunday  school  while  the  new  house  of  worship 
was  being  erected. 

It  was  a glad  day  in  the  life  of  this  struggling  society  when 
the  first  shovel  full  of  ground  was  turned.  Everybody  took  a 
hand  at  excavating  so  as  to  reduce  the  cost.  The  foundation 
walls  have  been  brought  up  to  the  grade  line  and  the  joists  were 
being  placed  in  position  for  the  first  floor  when  word  came  that 
some  Methodists  throughout  our  Church  had  failed  to  bring  into 
the  storehouse  of  the  Lord  what  they  had  subscribed  and  conse- 
quently no  aid  could  be  forthcoming  for  their  enterprise.  And 
there  the  matter  rests. 

The  Centenary  has  made  it  feasible  for  the  Board  of  Home 
Missions  and  Church  Extension  to  grant  the  extra  aid  which  has 
made  possible  the  pushing  through  to  completion  of  many  worthy 
church  building  projects,  but  the  church  just  described  and 
twenty-six  others  like  it  are  waiting  in  distress  because  some 
churches  have  not  done  their  part  in  raising  their  Centenary 
quotas. 


23 


SEE  that  every  unit  leader 
in  your  church  and  all 
of  the  other  officials  are 
regular  subscribers  to  a 
weekly  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church  paper.  Then 
keep  on  until  the  list  in- 
cludes every  family  in  the 
congregation 

Observe  Good  Literature  Dai ; 


